Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 106 I Don't Want to Wait Any Longer
As dawn broke, the night watchmen began to change shifts. Several militiamen walked back from their posts together. In the distance, they saw a young woman looking around at the crossroads. When she saw them, she waved in their direction.

"Hey kid, isn't that your girlfriend?"

Sun Qi, scratching his head and smiling, ignored his several goofy teammates and quickened his pace, heading in that direction.

One of the soldiers nudged the man who had just spoken with his elbow: "Give him some face in front of his girlfriend, don't call him 'grandson'."

"I know, I know."

The group whispered among themselves, their faces showing mischievous smiles, but they all became serious when they got closer.

"Is your wife here to pick up Brother Sun from get off work?"

"With such a considerate wife, Brother Sun is so lucky, we can only envy him!"

"Let's go, let's go, don't interrupt their time together."

He Xiaoyu and Sun Qi smiled and said goodbye to the soldiers, then slowly walked towards the residential area.

"Didn't you just get off your night shift? Why aren't you resting at home?"

"It's nothing, I just wanted to see you, so I came."

The two chatted as they walked.

How have you been feeling since joining the military?

"That's good. Actually, our tasks after joining the militia are not much different from before, except that we have to learn more. The squad leader also said that there might be instructors to help us become superhumans later."

Speaking of this, Sun Qi's eyes lit up, clearly showing great anticipation.

"Did I hear you're going to carry out a mission outside the safe zone?"

"correct."

Seeing He Xiaoyu's slightly worried expression, Sun Qi reassured her, "It's alright. We're just new recruits, so we won't be assigned any dangerous tasks. At most, we'll be involved in some logistical work, like moving things around."

"The fighting outside the safe zone was so fierce before, but it's much cleaner now."

"But you still need to be careful."

He Xiaoyu lowered her eyes and muttered, "No matter what, you're still an ordinary person. They even used nuclear weapons outside the safe zone before. You need to stay away from the radiation zone."

“I know you don’t want to embarrass Brother Xu, but you should also act within your capabilities…”

Sun Qi turned his head to look at his rambling girlfriend and suddenly asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

He Xiaoyu paused, remained silent for a long time, and stared at the street in front of her, which was both desolate and gradually becoming busier, as if she had made a great decision.

"Sun Qi, let's get married."

“This…” Sun Qi was stunned. The suggestion came too suddenly. He didn’t even feel surprised, but rather confused and even a little bewildered.

"Isn't it a little too fast? No, no, I didn't mean to refuse, it's just... if anything happens, you can just tell me..."

He Xiaoyu's face flushed slightly, she stopped in her tracks, and turned around to face Sun Qi.

"I ran into the commander-in-chief last night."

"Commander-in-Chief? Which commander-in-chief?"

"Commander Su, he gave me this."

He Xiaoyu took out the survival manual from her handbag and handed it to Sun Qi.

Now it was Sun Qi's turn to be dumbfounded. He looked at the line of words on the title page and found himself in the same situation as He Xiaoyu last night, finding it almost impossible to understand what was happening.

"You...you really weren't fooled? How could this be..."

“I can’t believe it either.” He Xiaoyu smoothed her hair and said in a low voice, “A colleague of mine who is close to me, her father is the commander of the Haiqu Division. I asked her about it when I was handing over shifts this morning… It really is Commander Su. He went to the hospital to visit the wounded.” Sun Qi opened his mouth wide and couldn’t speak for a long time. Seeing that he didn’t react, He Xiaoyu took his hand.

"The commander-in-chief said a lot to me, and I... can't remember some of it, but I think what he said made a lot of sense!"

“In this day and age, anything can happen at any time. We have gone through so much hardship, and it is not easy for us to come together now.”

He Xiaoyu gripped Sun Qi's hand tightly and whispered, "Let's get married! Let's go get our marriage certificate now, I don't want to wait any longer."

"I...I'm fine with it, of course I'm willing!"

Sun Qi stammered as he spoke, "I'm just... sorry, I was too excited. I just didn't expect it to turn out like this."

“But… but Xiaoyu, I hope… I’m sorry, I don’t know how to say this.” Sun Qi took a couple of breaths, barely managing to calm himself down: “Marriage is a matter between the two of us, it’s my matter, and it’s your matter. I hope that your idea comes from your own heart, and is not influenced by anyone else.”

Even if that person is the commander-in-chief.

He Xiaoyu wasn't entirely sure about her feelings, but looking into the boy's earnest and affectionate eyes, she suddenly became resolute.

"Of course, this is what I truly want."

The girl was decisive and efficient. As soon as Sun Qi agreed, she readily pulled him toward the Civil Affairs Bureau, which was actually right next to the residential area and had only been open for a few days.

To the couple's surprise, getting their marriage certificate was a breeze. Although the process was a bit complicated without the internet, it went quite smoothly overall. After registering their ID numbers and workplaces, the staff handed them two red booklets.

Even the photos above were taken and developed on-site. The two of them felt like they were being pushed around by the staff the whole time, as if they were afraid the staff would change their minds.

Even after he held the documents in his hands, Sun Qi still felt a little unreal.

The booklet wasn't actually that well-made; some of the information was even handwritten on the spot. Looking at the number, he was somewhat surprised: "There are actually people who got here before us?"

"Of course, you are not the first couple. Many couples who survived the great catastrophe came to get their marriage certificates as soon as the civil affairs bureau was rebuilt."

"However, among those who met and prepared to get married after the Great Cataclysm, you are indeed the earliest."

The staff member gently explained the current policies of the safe zone to the newlyweds.

“Your current household registration is with the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. After you get this certificate, you will need to register at the Corps office. Don’t worry, it’s not too troublesome. However, there is a requirement now: you cannot get divorced within one year of receiving the certificate. Our staff and the household registration staff will visit your home from time to time.”

"Okay, don't worry, there are no special requirements. We just want to see if you have any problems that need to be solved. You can bring them up when the time comes."

"By the way, when are you planning to have children? The Corps offers better benefits in this regard."

Upon hearing this, Sun Qi and He Xiaoyu shook their heads vigorously.

"We haven't considered that yet, we haven't considered that yet!"

"Alright... don't be shy, it's only a matter of time. After you get married, you can get a property at the office. You can just get the key there. When do you plan to have the wedding? We can help you with the arrangements!"

At this point, the two were even more bewildered, as they hadn't actually thought of any of this.

"Well... we should celebrate, shouldn't we invite Brother Yang and Shuyu over for a meal?"

"Brother Yang must be very surprised."

"I also want to bring a few comrades I know..."

"Then I'll invite our hospital's head nurses and the others to come too!"

As they each made their own plans, new interpersonal relationships were established without their knowledge.

Looking at his girlfriend—who could now be considered his wife—who was looking forward to their wedding, Sun Qi felt a surge of happiness.

The world has ended, but I and the people I love are still alive.

What else is there to be dissatisfied with?

(End of this chapter)